304 Marine Microbiology 



fungus from salt)' dunes wliich grew even on media with 20% 

 NaCl. Relationships between salinity and temperature for some 

 marine fungi were investigated by Ritchie (48, 49) and Gold 

 (20). 



The results of all nutrition experiments made hitherto seem 

 to be rather contradictory, and an extensive program of physio- 

 logical experiments with many species of marine fungi would be 

 very important. 



Besides an evidently common halotolerance, fungi showed 

 another physiological adaptation to the life in the sea, as Barg- 

 hoorn ( 2 ) found out in his experiments. Five of six species grow- 

 ing on media with different pH preferred values above 7,4. 

 Some species could not even develop below pH 4,7. As sea 

 water generally has values above pH 8 the hitherto examined 

 marine fungi show a distinct adaptation to the alkaline habitat. 



SUBSTRATES OF MARINE FUNGI 

 AND THEIR DISINTEGRATION 



Fungi as Parasites 



While among Phycomycetes a considerable number of 

 species occur parasitic on marine organisms ( see the compilation 

 of Mrs. Wilson, 61), parasitic marine Ascomycetes and Deutero- 

 mycetes are less known. Algae-inhabiting Ascomycetes may 

 sometimes live in a lichen-similar symbiotic association wherein 

 the fungal component may become a parasite. Sometimes fungal 

 attack of marine algae has been called "gall formation" while 

 other authors speak of "Parasitism." In his host index, Meyers 

 (38) lists, among other plants, twenty-three genera of algae, con- 

 taining 30 species attacked by Ascomycetes, and during the last 

 years Cribb and Cribb (10, 12, 13), Cribb and Herbert (14), G. 

 Feldmann ( 17, 18 ) , and Wilson and Knoyle ( 62 ) report further 

 parasitic Ascomycetes on algae. 



Oudemans (44), Rolland (50), Sutherland (57), J. Feld- 

 mann (19), and Cribb and Cribb (10) report algae-inhabiting 

 Deuter omycetes . 



There are only a few publications on microscopic examina- 

 tion of attack of fungal hyphae on algal cells. Decay of tissue of 

 calcareous algae by a parasite was investigated thoroughly by 



